


Courage, Cowardice, and Christmas Eve

by Lily Catts (Borjarnon)



Series: No Flower Ever Blooms Too Late [1]
Category: Original Work, vtuber
Genre: F/F, Friendship, Mutual Pining, Yuri, nerds gushing over the things they love, vtuber x mama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28281654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Borjarnon/pseuds/Lily%20Catts
Summary: It was just another job for Midorikawa Misaki, professional artist and mama to the popular vtuber Yuusha-jo-ou Breya, but the person behind the vtuber makes her an offer she can't refuse: a once-in-a-lifetime dinner on Christmas Eve.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Series: No Flower Ever Blooms Too Late [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161617
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	Courage, Cowardice, and Christmas Eve

Over the phone, the agency person was praising Misaki's work.

"We're very pleased with the quality of your illustrations, and Breya-san is overjoyed with the artbook. We have included a bonus in your payment."

Misaki bowed despite being alone in her bedroom. Since debuting three months ago, the popular vtuber Yuusha-jo-ou Breya gave her no shortage of work after she provided the character design. Given Breya's runaway success, the agency commissioned Misaki to draw an artbook of her. "Thank you, I appreciate it. Would that be all?"

The agency person hesitated. "Breya-san has a unique request. We do not usually entertain such requests, but she was most insistent. She would like to have a celebratory dinner with you on December 24. We understand if you are unable to go, given the nature of the day, so kindly let us know your decision."

"Uh, wow," Misaki said, stalling for time. The request took her aback. Did Yuusha-jo-ou Breya not know the significance of the date? It was Christmas Eve, a day for couples! In her twenty-eight years of existence Misaki had never smelled a whiff of romance. It wasn't something she particularly pursued, but it would have been a great help in coping with the stress of being a professional artist. On the other hand, it might be a cause of more stress, which compounded to her inertia to start seeing people.

She glanced at her schedule. "I don't really have anything lined up on that day. May I know the restaurant Breya-san is planning to book?"

The agency person mentioned a high-class restaurant in a five-star hotel. "Breya-san will cover all the expenses, so please don't worry about the cost."

Despite being the mama, the person who designed the character, Misaki had never met the person behind the vtuber. She admired her directness, and the offer was too good to refuse. Yuusha-jo-ou Breya had debuted three months ago, but was already making huge bank in terms of superchat earnings. The self-proclaimed Adventurer Vtuber had a loyal following of Boukenstans, whose numbers were boosted by her fluent English. Sometimes Misaki watched Breya's English-only streams and learned new useful phrases for herself, as she worked for more and more international clients.

What kind of person was the human who played the vtuber?

"Please tell Breya-san that I accept her request," she answered.

* * *

It was the twenty-fourth of December.

The stations were crowded, and there was no shortage of couples celebrating the occasion outside. Misaki tried to ignore the wistful longing of her heart. She had long made peace of her lifestyle being unattractive to most suitors, and resigned herself to spending the rest of her life alone. If anything, it strengthened her resolve to making drawing her sole purpose for living.

Breya did not text her at all. The agency instructed her to wait at a particular exit of a particular station, and requested that she tell them what she would be wearing at the time. She couldn't fault them for taking the utmost precaution in protecting a vtuber's flesh-and-blood identity, but she also worried that such a roundabout way of communication could complicate her meeting with Breya.

"Um, excuse me? Would you happen to be Greenriver-san?" a female voice said, meek and hesitant. _Greenriver_ was Misaki's pen name, the literal English translation of her family name, Midorikawa.

Misaki turned to face the person who asked the question. This was most likely Breya, but she had to make sure. "Yes, that would be me. How may I help you?"

"Oh, thank goodness it's really you. I'm Breya," the woman said.

Misaki stared in shock.

Breya—or more correctly, the person behind the vtuber Breya—was incredibly cute. She was dressed for the occasion, wearing a thick coat that revealed a modest but flattering dress underneath, and her makeup was clearly done by a professional. Was it really okay to be spending so much for her?

"Pleased to meet you," Misaki said, her professional instincts working overtime. "It might be a problem if I referred to you by that name, so how should I address you instead?

"You can call me Kirishima… Kirishima Melody." The western first name explained her pale skin.

Seriously, she was really cute. Why didn't she become a regular streamer instead? No use daydreaming here, Misaki told herself. They had a dinner to enjoy.

"Kirishima-san, then. Shall we go?"

* * *

Inside the restaurant, Misaki lamented her wardrobe. She did not have any suitable formal attire for extravagant occasions such as these. She put together her old office clothes and accessorized decently enough, but her business attire could not hold a candle to Kirishima's dress.

"I'm sorry I couldn't prepare a better outfit," she said, as they examined the menu. She had considered shopping for clothes, but decided that whatever she could afford would still fall short of the establishment's sartorial standards.

Kirishima shook her head. "Please don't worry about it. The fact that you agreed to go was enough for me."

"To be honest with you, I don't really go out of my way to meet people," Misaki said. "I'm the kind of person who manages to to work sixteen hours a day without even trying. I mean, the most human contact I've had was about ten years ago, in my last office job." After quitting due to burnout, she had taken a leap of faith to make a living as a professional artist, and managed to pull it off to everyone's surprise—including hers.

"Oh? I'm sorry for imposing."

"You don't need to be. I agreed, didn't I? I don't really follow a lot of vtubers, but as a dutiful mama I do my best to catch your streams."

"That makes me very happy," Kirishima said, smiling. Misaki felt her cheeks heat up. She felt a burning desire to make the woman smile again.

They placed their order—a porterhouse steak for Misaki, and the finest truffle pasta for Kirishima herself. For drinks, Misaki opted for evening tea instead, and Kirishima ordered the same, though she looked a little disappointed.

"Perhaps you wanted to order wine?" Misaki said.

Kirishima shook her head. "I didn't want to drink by myself. It would be awkward, and I'm afraid I might say something inappropriate."

Misaki blinked. "Like what?"

"N-nothing," the younger girl said. "I think tea would be best tonight! And water."

Misaki let it pass. "So tell me, how did you get to request me to design your character?"

"I've been a fan of you since your early days as an artist. So when I passed the audition and came up with a character concept, I specifically asked for you to make Yuusha-jo-ou Breya a reality. The agency balked at first, recommending more… mainstream names, but I said it was you or bust."

Misaki was surprised at how Kirishima put her foot down in that regard. Usually agency vtubers didn't have enough clout to assert themselves. "You were a fan of me since when?"

"Since the time _Haruhi_ was popular. The first season, I mean."

"Oh dear," Misaki said. "That's way way back. I'm sorry for my bad drawings then."

"No!" Kirishima said. "They weren't bad at all!"

"I hadn't figured out my style back then, and my linework was a little on the sloppy side, so yeah…" Misaki remembered some works that she particularly hated.

"It doesn't matter to me," Kirishima said, her eyes gleaming. "I thought your art had heart, and that's all I care about."

"Thank you," Misaki said. In fact, she was close to bursting with joy. It was the first time anyone spoke about her work with such effusive praise. "Can you tell me something? Why did you choose to become a vtuber, when you look really good? I'm just curious."

"I get conscious of my looks," Kirishima said. "People have said that I'm cute or attractive, but I don't want to be defined by my physical attributes. And my mixed heritage has always been a double-edged sword, so I'd rather not make it visible to my audience. That's why I asked for Breya to look like a plain, generic RPG heroine, whom I'll bring to life myself."

"I watched your streams prior to designing the model," Misaki said. "Even with a basic, free-use Live2D model, I thought you imbued a superb degree of expressiveness to your model." Following Kirishima's request, Misaki designed Breya to have a safe and wide appeal. Nothing really special, but Kirishima's great expressions and improvisation made the whole thing work. Suffice to say, the success of the vtuber was mostly due to the person behind them.

"You… watched all of my old stuff?" Kirishima said. She was blushing, and her hands were fidgety, as if she was about to bolt from her seat at any moment.

"Enough of them, I think," Misaki clarified. "Honestly, I was impressed, so I gave it my all when I designed Breya. From your previous content, I knew you were going to be a star."

"That's… very good to hear," Kirishima said, smiling. She noted their empty plates, and said, "would you be okay with Christmas cake? I'd like to share one, if you're okay with it."

"It's Christmas Eve, so why not?" Misaki said. At this point, she was more concerned with filling her stomach than following tradition—as Christmas cake was something lovers shared. "I'll just have to work hard at _Ring Fit Adventure_ tomorrow."

Kirishima called for the waiter, and placed her order. As the waiter left, Kirishima leaned in and said, "I've scheduled a two-hour _Ring Fit Adventure_ stream tomorrow, actually."

"I've seen the stream reservation," Misaki said. "You've really kept at it, haven't you?" When Breya first played the fitness game, she collapsed, and one of her vtuber friends had to come over to make sure she was okay.

"It's one of the good things that streaming has done for me," Kirishima said. "I mean, it's really broadened my horizons, introduced a lot of things that I wouldn't have tried on my own."

Misaki nodded. "And you should be proud, as I'm sure you've encouraged many of your fans to try things out themselves."

Kirishima smiled. "If you put it that way… you're right!"

She really was adorable.

"So why did you pick a fantasy adventurer as a character concept?" Misaki asked. Yuusha-jo-ou Breya called her streams "quests", and often ended her streams with the phrase "quest complete!" The way that her memes wrote themselves contributed a big deal to her popularity.

"I've been a fan of them since I was a child," Kirishima said. "I was quite sickly, so the most I could do in my leisure time was play video games, and RPGs let me see the world through the eyes of characters who were strong and kind."

"I can see that," Misaki said, as Breya streamed a lot of RPGs, both from Japan and the West. "I do play some of them myself."

"You're a fan of _Final Fantasy_ , right?"

"Yes!" Misaki's eyes lighted up. "What's your favorite?"

"I play a lot of _XIV_ , even before _A Realm Reborn_ , but closest to my heart would be _IV_. Kain is just so…" she closed her eyes in sheer pleasure of remembering. "What about you?"

"I like _Tactics_ the most, but if we're talking about mainstream titles, then _VI_."

"Oh! _VI_ is great, too. So that's why you drew a lot of Agrias/Ovelia and Locke/Celes!"

"Yeah. Come to think of it, I do have a certain type when it comes to relationship dynamics," Misaki said. "For those pairings you mentioned, one of them is the protector, the other the protected, but sometimes that gets turned over its head, right? I like to think that everyone has their own unique kind of strength, not just the overt kind."

Kirishima's eyes lighted up. "Yes! You get it, too! I thought I was the only one." She was absolutely gushing.

Their cake arrived. Kirishima blushed as the cake's strawberry toppings were arranged in the shape of hearts. "Oh… are you okay with this?"

"Y-yeah," Misaki said. She knew the significance of Christmas cake as a couples' tradition, but this was just a friendly dinner. _Right?_ "It's just cake, and I was going to have sweets for dessert, anyway. I mean, you could always eat the hearts first if they make you feel embarrassed."

"Good idea!" Kirishima said, a little too enthusiastically. Was something amiss? She took her slice, and started with the strawberries as Misaki had suggested.

Misaki found herself staring at the girl, and looked away before Kirishima noticed.

* * *

After the dinner (which Kirishima took great pains to conceal the check from Misaki's eyes), they walked around the streets without a particular destination in mind. Close to the station, they found a bench to sit on and pass the time, as the station was still filled to the brim with people trying to go home. Worst-case scenario, Misaki could ride a taxi home, but the traffic jams could make a dent on her budget.

"Wow, it's really Christmas Eve," Kirishima said, noticing all the people paired off with loved ones. A few trios trotted along, holding hands and making disgustingly sweet looks with each other.

"You really set this up without thinking?"

"To tell you the truth, I did it on purpose," Kirishima said. "I wanted to be with someone special today, but I didn't really have anyone of _that_ sort. Then I remembered someone I really looked up to, who helped me become the person I am today."

"So you assumed I was single?" Misaki said, laughing. The sheer nerve of this girl.

Kirishima bowed deeply. "I… I'm sorry!"

"You know what? It's fine. If you're the kind of person who doesn't want to be seen alone on this occasion, then I'm happy to have helped."

"No, it's not like that. I'm also single, but I'm not _that_ self-conscious about it. I think I'm particular with whom I'd like to, um, spend my time with."

"I'm not sure I follow," Misaki said.

"It's nothing!" Kirishima said, putting an abrupt end to that line of conversation. "Anyway, I was wondering if we could be friends. I mean, only if it's okay. Or do you have any issues with your clients befriending you?"

"Funny that you mention that, because you'd be the first client to ask," Misaki said. "I mean, sure. But are you really okay with me? I'm just a boring old artist, and I don't really have much of a social media presence." She rarely posted unless it was to show a finished work, unlike other artists who posted their WIPs and took their time to reply to fans. She simply did not have the social energy to do that.

"That's okay!" Kirishima said. "I was going to warn you, I'm pretty different from my online persona myself. Streaming as Breya feels like drawing a specific part of myself to perform in front of an audience. It gets exhausting sometimes."

"And yet you continue doing it, don't you? I know that you do your best everyday," Misaki said. If only she could be half as honest as Kirishima was. "As your mama, I want you to know that I'm proud of you."

Kirishima grinned and sat a little closer. "Mama… it sure feels nice to be praised!"

Misaki bonked her gently. "Don't let it go to your head."

"Ehehe…" The younger woman nursed her head. "Have you really never dated anyone?"

 _Oof._ Right in the feels. "What's with the question?"

"I just want to know."

"Never."

"No plans to?"

Misaki shrugged off her initial shameful reaction. "Now that you mention it? I don't know. Part of me wants to try, just to experience it. It's kind of a 'you don't know what you're missing out' kind of thing, right? But I reckon if I try then crash and burn, that's the end of it. Just gonna die alone."

Kirishima shook her head. "Please don't say that!"

"I don't really think about it," Misaki said. Which was a lie. She did think about it often. Living alone was fine, but if something bad happened to her, she didn't really have anyone close to help. If she died, the last thing she ever wanted was her landlord finding her body days or weeks after. "What about you?"

"Call me corny, but I want to spend my life with someone," Kirishima said. "The problem is that I'm a big coward. On stream I make a show of being brave and all, but my personal life has always been a mess."

"So you can't confess to the person you love? That's tough."

"Yeah. I guess I'm that tragic heroine who settles for being close to her precious person without really telling them how they feel."

"You have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and you're in the top ten superchat earners. You're awesome, okay? I'm sure that person would acknowledge you."

Kirishima smiled, but her eyes told a different story. "Not yet."

Misaki balled her gloved hands into fists. She wanted to do something, to comfort this precious _child_ beside her. Kirishima might be a bonafide adult, but her emotional vulnerability put her closer in the category of shoujo manga protagonist. "This might sound sudden, but can I hug you?"

Kirishima leaned close. "Then by all means…"

The artist burst out laughing. "You're too adorable, Kirishima-san. As your mama, I have to protect you." She hugged the younger woman, and patted her head. The person behind the vtuber squirmed in delight. She knew that the term "mama" in vtuber-speak didn't hold equal weight as being an actual mother, but it managed to unlock her protective side all the same. After all, she had resolved to support Yuusha-jo-ou Breya, and that meant cheering for the sweet and earnest girl at her side.

After the hug, Misaki held up her phone. "Would you like to exchange contact info? It should be okay if it's with Kirishima Melody, not Yuusha-jo-ou Breya, right?"

"I'd be glad to," Kirishima said. Her delighted face told Misaki that her stunt had worked. They held up their phones, letting technology do the rest.

"You're still blushing."

"I can't help it! My mama turned out to be a super-cool person who gives the best hugs."

"Don't make it weird," Misaki chided.

They remained together, sharing their hopes and dreams for the future, until it was time for the last train.

* * *

Back at home, Misaki reclined in her chair, taking a break from sketching. She was working on an illustration for a popular mobile game's New Year event on one monitor, while playing Yuusha-jo-ou Breya's celebration/drinking stream on her second monitor. Eight hundred thousand channel subscriptions in three months was nothing to scoff at. Breya's model was positioned over a kotatsu, with a bottle of sake close at hand.

"I had dinner with mama today, I mean yesterday, just to thank her for all her hard work. She was so cool! Definitely strong and kind. I hope to be as great as her someday."

Immediately her chat pounced on what she just said.

"Mama's girl? Damn right I am."

"You should go check out her work. If I were to describe it, it's _simple and clean_. That's the sort of feeling it gives me. By the way, mama's artbook of me is coming out on the 4th of January!"

Wow, she's really laying on it thick. Sighing, Misaki switched to her browser window and typed up a superchat.

**Greenriver  
￥10000  
I had fun. The Christmas cake was quite delicious. I'll keep doing my best to be a good mama to you!  
**

Misaki realized her mistake as soon as she sent the superchat. As she reached for the volume knob, Breya's overjoyed shriek filled her ears.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaah! A red superchat from mama? I'm so blessed!"

Misaki burst out laughing.

Then her phone beeped. It was a text from Kirishima.

_Thank you._

Misaki closed her eyes and leaned back on her chair. She knew whom Kirishima Melody had feelings for. It was so painfully obvious that it took all her self-control to call her out on it. But she was not ready to have that conversation herself.

"Where have you been all my life?" she said, her twenty-eight years of life experience ill-equipped in the matters of the heart.

She would keep Kirishima close, until they were both ready. _It's all for the best,_ she told herself over and over, until she was convinced of the lie.

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by the short manga _Masking Lady_ by Harukawa Haru, collected in the yuri anthology _Whenever Our Eyes Meet…_
> 
> I wanted to put a vtuber spin on the "illustrator meets her client" tale and tailor it for the occasion. I've always wanted to publish a seasonal story, but I've never really pulled it off, until now. I do enjoyed how the story came together, and I might revisit these characters in a future (original) work.
> 
> I don't really have a space of my own yet to publish my original fiction, so here it goes on AO3. Thanks for reading!


End file.
